I'm a firm believer that we cannot become odorless. If deer get a full nose of us, they will bust us. But there are nuances to the odor bust scenario. A few examples are "diluted odor" on the fringes of our scent cone, ground odor on access trails, and residual odor which remains during and after our presence. These odors can be reduced to the point that busts become far less intense or even non existent.
I'm going to assume a deer that's within close distance, centered in my scent cone is gonna wind me regardless of what I do. But I also realize that my regimen has practically eliminated my ground odor to the point that I no longer worry about crossing deer trails near my stand. My ground odor busts are almost nonexistent for me.
I insist on showering in the morning before a hunt. I've even showered a second time during a lunch break, but I rarely leave the woods for lunch so it's not very often that I shower twice during a hunt.
HOW you shower is something seldom discussed. Usually, guys just mention the soap but how you shower is even more important.
Think about how a surgeon scrubs before an operation. They soap up and SCRUB for miutes in order to kill bacteria. Bacteria is the main cause of odor.
I wet down, turn the water off, soap up, and scrub with something like a luffa sponge. I use a dish rag with a nylon netting type material on it. The idea is to exfoliate AND allow time for the soap to kill bacteria.
Scrub every nook and cranny. Corners of the nose, around the eyes, ears, pits, crotch and crack and of course feet and in between each toe. Don't rinse until you've been thorough.
Quality deodorant antiperspirant goes on select areas, not just the pits.
Boot care is critical.
I run ozone inside each boot while in a tub before every hunt. Boots are getting O3 inside and out.
Boot bottoms are never touched with bare hands and I never use a bare foot or stocking foot to push off the 2nd boot. Use a boot jack if you need to.
Make every effort to avoid touching or brushing up against weeds or brush during the final approach to the stand. Carry hand pruners and clip anything that you otherwise cannot avoid contact with.
I often use my pruners to steady and balance myself as I pass trees. It allows me to sneak much more quietly.
I also use the pruners almost like pliars. I'll use them to pick up debris along my final approach to preset stands. I constantly maintain and groom my entrance trails which reduces noise and odor. The longer that I use pruners more more uses I'm finding for them.
I'm in my 2nd season of experimenting with a bee smoker. Deer do show reaction to the smoke but it isnt a reaction of alarm. It's more of curiosity or confusion which is better that a true odor bust. The jury is still out for me as to whether or not smoke adds to the effectiveness of an odor regimen.